Rational actors: Channel selection and rational choices in romantic conflict episodes

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Volumn 27, Issue 7, 2010, Pages 970-981

  Frisby, Brandi N ^a   Westerman, David ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY   (United States)

^b WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

channel; computer mediated communication; conflict style; conflict topic; interpersonal; relationship satisfaction; romantic relationship

Indexed keywords

EID: 78349278530     PISSN: 02654075     EISSN: 14603608     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0265407510378302     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. Argyle, M., & Furnham, A. (1983). Sources of satisfaction and conflict in long-term relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 481-493.
2. Assad, K., Donnellan, M., & Conger, R. (2007). Optimism: An enduring resource for romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 285-297.
3. Blake, R.R., & Mouton, J.S. (1970). The fifth achievement. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 6, 413-426.
4. Boneva, B., Kraut, R., & Frohlich, D. (2001). Using e-mail for personal relationships: The difference gender makes. American Behavioral Scientist, 45, 530-549.
5. Burggraf, C.S., & Sillars, A.L. (1987). A critical examination of sex differences in marital communication. Communication Monographs, 54, 276-294.
6. Burgoon, J., Buller, D., Hale, J., & deTurck, M. (1984). Relational messages associated with nonverbal behaviors. Human Communication Research, 10, 351-378.
7. Canary, D.J., Cupach, W.R., & Serpe, R.T. (2001). A competence-based approach to examining interpersonal conflict. Communication Research, 28, 79-104.
8. Cramer, D. (2000). Relationship satisfaction and conflict style in romantic relationships. The Journal of Psychology, 134, 337-341.
9. Cramer, D. (2004). Satisfaction with a romantic relationship, depression, support and conflict. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 77, 449-461.
10. Cramer, D. (2005). Effect of four rational statements on expected satisfaction with a close relationship. British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 33, 227-238.
11. Crockett, L.J., & Randall, B.A. (2006). Linking adolescent family and peer relationships to the quality of young adult romantic relationships: The mediating role of conflict tactics. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 23, 761-780.
12. Emmers-Sommer, T.M. (1999). Negative relational events and event responses across relationship-type: Examining and comparing the impact of conflict strategy-use on intimacy in same-sex friendships, opposite-sex friendships and romantic relationships. Communication Research Reports, 16, 286-295.
13. Gottman, J. (1994). What predicts divorce? The relationship between marital processes and marital outcomes. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
14. Gross, M.A., & Guerrero, L.K. (2000). Managing conflict appropriately and effectively: An application of the competence model to Rahim's organizational conflict styles. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 200-226.
15. Hojjat, M. (2000). Sex differences and perceptions of conflict in romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 17, 598-617.
16. Hsueh, A.C., Morrison, K.R., & Doss, B.D. (2009). Qualitative reports of problems in cohabiting relationships: Comparisons to married and dating relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 236-246.
17. Ishii, K. (in press). Conflict management in online relationships. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0272.
18. Kayany, J.M., Wotring, C.E., & Forrest, E.J. (1996). Relational control and interactive media choice in technology-mediated communication situations. Human Communication Research, 22, 399-421.
19. Korzenny, F. (1978). A theory of electronic propinquity: Mediated communications in organizations. Communication Research, 5, 3-24.
20. Krausz, E. (2004). The elements of rationality and chance in the choice of human action. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 34, 354-374.
21. Madell, D., & Muncer, S. (2005). Are internet and mobile phone communication complementary activities amongst young people? A study from a 'rational actor' perspective. Information, Communication, and Society, 8, 64-80.
22. Markus, M.L. (1994a). Finding a happy medium: Explaining the negative effects of electronic communication on social life at work. ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 12, 119-149.
23. Markus, M.L. (1994b). Electronic mail as the medium of managerial choice. Organization Science, 5, 502-527.
24. Merkle, E.R., & Richardson, R.A. (2000). Digital dating and virtual relating: Conceptualizing computer mediated romantic relationships. Family Relations, 49, 187-192.
25. Merolla, A. (2008). Communicating forgiveness in friendships and dating relationships. Communication Studies, 59, 114-131.
26. Messman, S.J., & Mikesell, R.L. (2000). Competition and interpersonal conflict in dating relationships. Communication Reports, 13, 21-34.
27. Norton, R. (1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and Family, 45, 141-151.
28. Oetzel, J., Myers, K.K., Meares, M., & Lara, E. (2003). Interpersonal conflict in organizations: Explaining conflict styles via Face-Negotiation Theory. Communication Research Reports, 20, 106-115.
29. Olsen, L., & Golish, T. (2002). Topics of conflict and patterns of aggression in romantic relationships. Southern Communication Journal, 67, 180-201.
30. O'Sullivan, P.B. (2000). What you don't know won't hurt me: Impression management functions of communication channels in relationships. Human Communication Research, 26, 403-431.
31. Pistole, M.C. (1989). Attachment in adult romantic relationships: Style of conflict resolution and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6, 505-510.
32. Rahim, M.A. (1983). A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 368-376.
33. Ramirez, A., Jr., & Broneck, K. (2009). 'IM me': Instant messaging as relational maintenance and everyday communication. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 291-314.
34. Riva, G. (2002). The sociocognitive psychology of computer-mediated communication: The present and future of technology-based interactions. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 5, 581-598.
35. Sanderson, C.A., & Karetsky, K.H. (2002). Intimacy goals and strategies of conflict resolution in dating relationships: A mediational analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19, 317-337.
36. Shapiro, E., & Allen, B.J. (2001). Why fight on the net?: Conflict on e-mail. Journal of the North-west Communication Association, 30, 40-61.
37. Sidelinger, R.J., & Booth-Butterfield, M. (2007). Mate value discrepancy as predictor of forgiveness and jealousy in romantic relationships. Communication Quarterly, 55, 207-223.
38. Stafford, L., & Canary, D.J. (2006). Equity and interdependence as predictors of relational maintenance strategies. The Journal of Family Communication, 6, 227-254.
39. Surra, C.A., & Longstreth, M. (1990). Similarity of outcomes, interdependence, and conflict in dating relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 501-516.
40. Thomas, K.W., & Killman, R.H. (1978). Comparisons of four instruments measuring conflict behavior. Psychological Reports, 42, 1139-1145.
41. Walther, J.B. (1992). Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A relational perspective. Communication Research, 19, 52-90.
42. Walther, J.B. (1996). Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyper-personal interaction. Communication Research, 23, 3-43.
43. Walther, J.B., & Ramirez, A., Jr. (2009). New technologies and new directions in online relating. In S. W. Smith & S. R. Wilson (Eds.), New directions in interpersonal communication research (pp. 264-284). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
44. Zacchilli, T.L., Hendrick, D., & Hendrick, S.S. (2009). The romantic partner conflict scale: A new scale to measure relationship conflict. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 1073-1096.